These six Las Vegas Raiders could play a bigger role for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024. The big question is whether they can handle the responsibility.
#6 Tre Tucker, Wide Receiver
Tre Tucker has great potential and should play a bigger role in the Raiders’ offense. This guy caught five of five passes for 79 yards in Las Vegas’s season finale against Denver. He also took a carry for an impressive 11-yard gain.
He finished with 19 catches on 34 targets for 331 yards and two touchdowns. Of course, he usually gets overlooked in favor of guys like Davantae Adams, Jakobi Meyers, and Michael Mayer, but he shouldn’t be. He has everything the Raiders need if he increases his receptions. It’s just a matter of if he can handle it or not
#5 Robert Spillane, Linebacker
Robert Spillane proved to be a dangerous man in 2024, leading to thoughts of what he could do in the future. Of course, this all comes down to whether the Raiders keep him, but they would be foolish not to. He led the defense in stats by the end of the year.
Spillane finished with 148 tackles, 3.5 sacks, seven tackles for losses, four patdowns and three interceptions. That’s not something to ignore, and why Spillane could thrive with the defense. He will be someone the head coach will want to rely on.
#4 Max Crosby, Defensive End
Max Crosby will be central in reshaping the Las Vegas Raiders’ defense. Las Vegas already built around him last year by adding Tyree Wilson to the mix. The Raiders’ defense also showed a lot of life toward the end of the season, and Crosby is a big reason for that.
He is their top defensive star and proved it with 55 solo tackles, 35 assisted tackles, 14.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles.
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#3 Zahmir White, Running Back
There should be no doubt that the Raiders plan to utilize Zamir White more after what he showed last season. White rushed for a total of 408 yards in 92 attempts for an average of 4.3 a carry in the season’s final four games. This was also all in relief of Joshua Jacobs, who was out with a quad injury. That’s quite the stat sheet for a guy who’s been sitting behind Jacobs for most of the year.
Now, this doesn’t mean Jacobs loses his starting spot, but he needs to split touches with White. It just makes sense to utilize their multi-tiered run game and stop relying on just one. They both have their advantages and are game-changers.
We predict White is going to have a career year in 2024.
#2 Michael Mayer, Tight End
The Las Vegas Raiders need a long-term tight end for the future, and Michael Mayer looks perfect. Despite not getting many looks early on, Mayer was incorporated more into the game plan as time passed. This led to some stellar results and a taste of what he is capable of. Mayer finished the year with 27 receptions for 304 yards and two touchdowns.
What’s most interesting is that Mayer got most of his receptions after Josh McDaniels was ousted as head coach. For example, he had 16 receptions under Pierce and only 11 with McDaniels as head coach. Mayer also fared slightly better in yardage with Pierce and got the first two touchdowns of his career with the interim head coach.
There is increasing speculation that Antonio Pierce is going to be staying on as head coach, and this is a guy he is going to want to build around. Mayer is also someone the Raiders will be forced to rely on at tight end if rumors about Davantae Adams wanting out are accurate.
#1 Aidan O’Connell, Quarterback
It’s hard to imagine the Las Vegas Raiders moving on from Aidan O’Connell. He is arguably their best choice due to a lackluster free-agent market and another batch of risky rookie QBs.
O’Connell threw for over 2000 yards,12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions as a starter. These aren’t the most incredible stats, but he is, again, a best-case scenario for now. He is also a guy that the Raiders have been developing for much of the season, so they shouldn’t throw it away.
O’Connell is a guy Las Vegas can grow with and turn to free agency if he doesn’t pan out.
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